How Home Improvement Actually Saves You Money
Another year, another chance to fix up your tired, old house. The lawn's a mess, your paint is peeling left and right, and the porch is rotting. Don't you think it's about time to starting fixing it up? After all, your house isn't getting any younger, so you should be doing everything you can to start patching it up today. In fact, now can save you even more money down the road by following a few simple steps to fixing up your home.
A Few Easy Things to Do
Did you know that by spending a few dollars on now, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars each year? That's because a lot of your energy costs go into heating during the winter and cooling during the summer. Also, you can easily save some more money by fixing up your water heater.
You'll want to patch up any cracks near your windows or doors. Make sure the rubber lining is intact and working properly (if you don't feel a breeze while the window or door is closed, it's working well). Another easy tip is for you to fix up your water heater with an insulation sleeve if it doesn't meet the newest energy standards. This can make the heater more efficient, using less electricity and saving you money.
Also, replace those old incandescent light bulbs with newer fluorescent or LED (light emitting diode) bulbs. Each use a fraction of the electricity as older incandescent bulbs, and they also help you cool during the summer because less energy is wasted in the form of heat. For even more home improvement, consider placing insulation along your roof or in your basement (both in the ceiling) if either are lacking. This can mean a good deal of savings when extreme temperatures hit.
There are hundreds of different products to help you get the job done right. A number of stores (Lowes, Home Depot, Ace) should have what you need in stock, but if you need some specialized supplies, you can always check online for what you need. Every single year you put these simple projects off, your throwing away money on easy to solve problems.
Sealing the cracks and adding additional or more efficient insulation is one of the easiest ways for homeowners to save money, and while they might not see those savings in the first year alone, they surely will as each year's savings add up onto the last one's. Not all is glamorous, but the non-glamorous stuff is usually what's necessary.
By Bob B Taylor
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